`new Pa.,' Same Leader? 
Ridge Announces Bid For Re-election

Airport Regains Use Of Its Weather System

Thursday, January 15, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 7B 





AROUND TOWN &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 STUDY GIVES GEISINGER HIGH MARKS: Penn State Geisinger Medical Center is
ranked among the top 100 hospitals for cost-efficient and high-quality health
care in an annual study titled 100 Top Hospitals-Benchmarks for SuccessThe
study was the basis for a special report this week in Modern Healthcare, a
hospital industry journal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Information for the study was complied by HCIA Inc. and William M. Mercer,
Inc., a unit of Marsh &amp; McLennan Companies Inc. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rankings for the study were based on nine factors including, the
severity-adjusted average length of stay, the profitability of the hospital
and the productivity of the hospital. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 NORWOOD FINANCIAL EARNINGS RISE: Norwood Financial Corp. and its
subsidiary, Wayne Bank, has announced preliminary annual earnings of $2.706
million, resulting in an earnings per share of $1.63. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This represents a 44.6 percent increase from the $1.872 million earned in
1996 with an earnings per share of $1.10. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the fourth quarter, net income totaled $725,000, an increase of 77
percent from the fourth quarter 1996 earnings of $409,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The growth in earnings for the year was principally due to an increase in
net interest income, a lower provision for loan losses due to reduction in
non-performing loans, improvement in fee-based income, control of operating
expenses and a non-recurring gain related to a change in employee benefit
plans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Total assets at Dec. 31 were $261.7 million. Loans and leases increased
$11.1 million from 1996 to $185.6 million at year end. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 NATION &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 GOP URGES END TO MARRIAGE PENALTY: Republican lawmakers pressed President
Clinton Wednesday to join them in changing income tax rules that they say
penalize people for being married. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In a letter signed by 123 House members, including Speaker Newt Gingrich,
lawmakers asked Clinton to use his State of the Union address later this month
to endorse their proposal to eliminate the so-called marriage tax penalty. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sponsors of the legislation said 42 percent of all Americans, 21 million
married couples, pay higher taxes than if they were single because filing
joint returns pushes them into a higher tax bracket. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For example, a couple jointly making $60,000 a year, putting them in the 28
percent tax bracket, would have to pay nearly $1,400 more in taxes than if
they were single and each paid taxes on incomes of $30,000, which is in the 15
percent bracket. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The bill, which would give married couples the option of filing separately
if that meant a smaller tax burden, would cost the government $18 billion in
revenues a year. Similar legislation has also been offered in the Senate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 U.S. QUESTIONS KOHL ON EURO: In a sign of growing U.S. interest in Europe's
planned single currency, a Senate delegation met Chancellor Helmut Kohl on
Wednesday "to learn, to listen and to ask questions." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The European Union's planned common currency is seen as a potential rival
to the dollar. In May, EU leaders will choose the countries that will
introduce the euro on Jan. 1, 1999. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kohl is the driving force behind the euro and has staked his political
future on its success. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The four senators were the second U.S. congressional delegation in two
months to meet Kohl on the euro. A House of Representatives group held talks
in Bonn on the topic in November. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The euro's strength will partly depend on whether European governments
tackle economic reforms, Domenici said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 STOCKS REGISTER SMALL RISE: Stocks rose modestly Wednesday as the latest
profit report from Intel beat Wall Street's deflated expectations, but added
to worries about how much the Asian economic crisis will hurt U.S. companies
this year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Dow Jones industrial average traded in a tight range most of the day
before pushing higher over the final 90 minutes, closing about 52 points
higher at 7,784. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Most broad-market indicators also turned h

Around Town 
Study Gives Geisinger High Marks: Penn State Geisinger Medical Center Is 
Ranked Among The Top 100 Hospitals For Cost-efficient And High-quality Health 
Care In An Annual Study Titled 100 Top Hospitals-benchmarks For Success.

Around Town Study Gives Geisinger High Marks: Penn State Geisinger Medical Center Is Ranked Among The Top 100 Hospitals For Cost-efficient And High-quality Health Care In An Annual Study Titled 100 Top Hospitals-benchmarks For Success.